


Sharing

by LapisLazooti



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Autistic Bruce Banner, Autistic Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Friendship, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Jewish Tony Stark, Mentioned at least - Freeform, Neurodiversity, Nonverbal Bucky, Nonverbal Communication, neurodivergent character, nonverbal bruce, sensory issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 05:23:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15700647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapisLazooti/pseuds/LapisLazooti
Summary: When Bucky has days where he just can't talk, he finds comfort and solidarity with Bruce.





	Sharing

There were some days where Bucky just couldn't speak. Just the thought of opening his mouth and making any sort of sound come out was extremely uncomfortable at best and extremely upsetting at worst. He couldn't find a reason for it, half of the time he was in a good mood when he went nonverbal. It was just something that his brain did. And he had come to terms with it, once he disregarded the idea that he was broken or weird. They all had their little things - besides, Bruce had these episodes of muteness as well. It made him feel less alone.

The only problem he came across was communicating with his friends and partners. 

Steve was easy. Gestures were usually enough to get across what he wanted or needed, even different ways of squeezing his hand while their fingers were intertwined were used between them to talk. They'd known each other for so long, been together for so long that Steve could read him like an open book. 

Natasha knew a bit of sign language, too, and while Bucky didn't know much - She and Clint were able to assist with the bare necessities. Things like how to say he was hungry or thirsty, that he needed space or to be held. Things that were most commonly used when he was having a negative nonverbal episode when things got to be too much and he shut down. Besides that, Nat was incredibly good at reading body language. Text-to-speech was always a good option, too.

That's how he usually communicated with Sam in these times. Especially as he found it extremely funny to hear this robotic, monotone voice call Sam a 'bird-brained bastard' for him, or things like, 'go make me a sandwich, little birdie.'. Sam was good in these times. He didn't walk on eggshells around him or treat him any different than usual - not that anyone else did - but it was very apparent in Sam. He appreciated it. 

The rest of the Avengers were a bit more difficult, save for Bruce. Bruce understood him in more ways than one, leading to a sort of... casual friendship. A kinship based on their similarities. The whole... violent being that they could turn into with a simple trigger, their nonverbal episodes. Shared experiences that they never spoke about. Most of the time spent together was used sitting quietly together, Bruce's nose in a book and Bucky's fingers tangled in a fidget toy while the others watched some loud shoot-em-up action movie in the other room. Those movies were too much. Too loud, too flashy, far too hard to follow for either of them. 

Brought up bad memories.

But they didn't mind staying in their little quiet room. They didn't feel isolated or left out by the activities; both much more willing to be alone or with the other's company rather than with the entire goddamn compound. Bucky tapped his metal knuckles against the drywall behind him to gain Bruce's attention. 'You hungry?' He signs. 

Bruce tilts his hand back and forth in the air, 'so-so.'.

He pockets his tangle fidget toy and stands up so he can go grab himself a snack, Bruce too if he wants one. He points to himself with his metal arm, then to himself before giving the sign for snack and pointing to Bruce. His signing is a little broken, and not all that accurate - but it gets the job done. Especially with Bruce, who nods.

Bucky slips out of the room and shuffles through the living room to get to the kitchen. The TV is blaring some action movie, yelling and gunfire flooding the room through the speakers. He covers his ears as he slides behind the large couch in the center of the room where the rest of his friends are seated; most half-draped over each other or sitting on the floor. Finding a big enough couch for all of them was impossible. 

The kitchen is always well stocked with all sorts of snacks. Always something for everyone, a grocery-request sheet tacked up on the wall beside the fridge. There's a number of things already added to the list, most in Natasha's handwriting. He recognizes them as the ingredients for solyanka. Huh. He wonders if she'll share, or if she'll make a big batch of it. 

He remembers to stay on task. Right. Snacks. Bruce likes wheat crackers and hummus, so he grabs the crackers from the cabinet and the hummus from the fridge. What he wants is another question. He was still re-learning what he liked, remembering old flavors and dishes that he found to be tasty. Everyone was a big help with that. Steve would make him dishes their ma's made, made the same corned beef on rye that he used to buy at the Jewish deli down the street. Even asked Tony to help him make rugelach just like he'd eaten when he was just a tot. And he appreciated his boyfriend's efforts to reintroduce him to the foods he loved in the old days.

He was finding new things he liked, too. A lot, he realizes as he peeks into the cabinet above the sink. He picks out a little package of gummy bears and carries their snacks back to the quiet room. The action of the movie has dulled to a moment of peace as he passes by. 

Bruce looks up from his book when Bucky slips through the doorway. He slips a bookmark between the pages he was on before excitedly signing, 'You got hummus!'. Bucky's a little jealous because he didn't even know there was a sign for that - only understanding through the sheer power of context. 

He situates himself next to his scientist friend and they eat their snacks in silence, only broken up by the occasional crunch of a cracker and the whirring of Bucky's arm. They share, too, but Bruce only takes a couple of gummy bears. He's not too into sweets like Bucky is. He's always had a bit of a sweet tooth. And to be fair, Bucky isn't too into hummus, either. But he likes the crackers. And they're friends, so they're supposed to share. 

And it's really, really good to have a friend to share things with - whether it was their snacks or their silence.


End file.
